Written Answers Thursday 7 February 2008

Scottish Executive

Child Care

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority received from the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Development Fund in each year of the 2004 spending review.

Fiona Hyslop: Whilst local government had flexibility to allocate other resources to this area, the specific amounts allocated to each local authority from the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Development Fund in each year of the 2004 spending review were as follows:

  

 Council
2005-06 (£)
2006-07 (£)
2007-08 (£)


 Aberdeen City 
 212,080
 207,820
 207,139


 Aberdeenshire 
 285,322
 285,311
 285,446


 Angus 
 130,829
 133,153
 132,757


 Argyll and Bute 
 112,122
 108,996
 108,045


 Clackmannanshire 
 71,859
 74,254
 74,102


 Dumfries and Galloway 
 172,775
 165,194
 163,536


 Dundee City 
 160,503
 155,503
 154,932


 East Ayrshire 
 150,951
 147,807
 147,030


 East Dunbartonshire 
 139,746
 134,786
 133,702


 East Lothian 
 122,650
 128,567
 128,780


 East Renfrewshire 
 124,272
 128,100
 128,634


 Edinburgh, City of 
 432,368
 431,600
 433,356


 Eilean Siar 
 43,051
 44,572
 44,269


 Falkirk 
 176,654
 181,674
 182,387


 Fife 
 404,292
 401,172
 402,631


 Glasgow City 
 619,720
 598,132
 598,037


 Highland 
 247,512
 244,110
 243,448


 Inverclyde 
 107,200
 106,645
 106,043


 Midlothian 
 111,908
 115,960
 116,351


 Moray 
 114,702
 113,479
 112,340


 North Ayrshire 
 169,127
 164,643
 163,668


 North Lanarkshire 
 387,629
 394,791
 396,182


 Orkney Islands 
 36,751
 39,111
 38,824


 Perth and Kinross 
 159,997
 165,738
 166,767


 Renfrewshire 
 205,511
 205,235
 205,157


 Scottish Borders 
 130,170
 136,120
 136,583


 Shetland Islands 
 42,301
 44,960
 44,936


 South Ayrshire 
 129,963
 130,096
 129,929


 South Lanarkshire 
 353,880
 353,111
 352,638


 Stirling 
 109,389
 114,756
 115,313


 West Dunbartonshire 
 120,332
 119,128
 118,967


 West Lothian 
 214,434
 225,473
 228,072


 
 6,000,000
 6,000,000
 6,000,000

Child Mortality

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many still births were delivered in each of the last 10 years, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The information requested is shown in the table.

  Number1 of Still Births by NHS Board of Residence and Year of Registration

  

 
 1996
 1997
 1998
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005
 2006


 Scotland2
 381
 319
 351
 286
 298
 301
 278
 296
 317
 292
 296


 Ayrshire and Arran
 28
 32
 14
 20
 16
 25
 19
 16
 21
 18
 21


 Borders
 **
 **
 8
 **
 11
 *
 *
 **
 *
 **
 *


 Dumfries and Galloway
 13
 19
 8
 *
 **
 8
 6
 7
 *
 7
 *


 Fife
 26
 19
 30
 24
 22
 18
 19
 23
 13
 21
 24


 Forth Valley
 18
 13
 14
 8
 15
 13
 11
 17
 20
 22
 16


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 96
 67
 91
 72
 97
 85
 82
 83
 105
 83
 73


 Grampian
 42
 29
 38
 31
 34
 33
 26
 24
 25
 23
 31


 Highland
 21
 17
 17
 17
 13
 15
 17
 10
 16
 11
 16


 Islands
 *
 *
 6
 6
 *
 **
 *
 *
 *
 *
 *


 Lanarkshire
 42
 48
 43
 35
 29
 38
 29
 45
 34
 32
 39


 Lothian
 51
 40
 49
 46
 33
 39
 42
 42
 54
 44
 43


 Tayside
 33
 24
 28
 15
 14
 16
 19
 17
 16
 15
 19



  Source: Scottish Stillbirth and Infant Death Survey.

  Notes:

  1. Figures may differ slightly from previously published data due to the use of a different postcode reference file.

  2. Includes births where NHS board of residence is unknown or outside Scotland.

  * Cell values of less than 5 have been suppressed.

  ** Cell values of up to 10 have been suppressed where column totals would reveal the value of cell values of less than 5.

Culture

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure the future success of the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe and what discussions the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture has had with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice about future public safety at the Festival and Fringe.

Linda Fabiani: A high-level Festivals Forum has been established and is currently implementing the first of the 14 recommendations from the Thundering Hooves report. In addition to this, Festivals Edinburgh was created by the Director’s of Edinburgh’s 12 major festivals to look at the strategic development of all of Edinburgh’s festivals and over-arching areas of mutual interest. The aim is to secure the on-going pre-eminence of Edinburgh’s festivals and this will include the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe.

  I have had no specific discussions about public safety at the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe since these matters are dealt with by the Scottish Government’s Emergency Room Cabinet Sub-Committee, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, which keeps under review the Scottish Government’s policy for preparing the major disruptive incidents in Scotland.

Culture

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on the progress of the cultural pathfinder projects.

Linda Fabiani: The pathfinder programme has been running since January 2007, with most of the projects being due to finish in the first half of 2008. The programme was established to explore ways to boost community participation at a local level. An independent evaluation of the programme will shortly be commissioned which will consider interim and subsequent findings. A final report on the programme is expected to be published early in 2009.

  From progress reports submitted to date there is evidence that the programme is having some success in achieving its objectives, engaging target groups who were identified as "hard to reach" and under-represented in terms of cultural participation, and discovering what culture means to them and what their aspirations are.

Dentistry

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to improve access to NHS dental provision in Roxburgh and Berwickshire.

Shona Robison: NHS Borders is committed to improving access to NHS dental services in Roxburgh and Berwickshire. Plans are currently proceeding for the creation of two six surgery dental units, one in Coldstream and the other in Hawick.

Education

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools have their own websites in (a) Scotland and (b) the Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency, broken down into (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools and giving the number of websites being updated.

Maureen Watt: Information held centrally is not accurate for the whole of Scotland. In the Kilmarnock and Loudoun parliamentary constituency we understand that eight of the 34 primary schools and all seven secondary schools have websites. Information is not gathered on which websites are being updated.

Education

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on the establishment of websites by schools since 2002.

Maureen Watt: Setting up and operating school websites is a matter for local authorities and schools. From 2004 to 2006 Learning and Teaching Scotland ran the "Scottish Schools Get Online" project to support schools across Scotland in developing high quality websites which offer appropriate information for parents and others. In future it is likely that some schools will take advantage of the facilities offered by Glow to maintain a public web presence.

Energy Efficiency

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what obligations rest with retailers selling compact fluorescent light bulbs with regard to their disposal.

Richard Lochhead: The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2006 provide that distributors (including retailers) shall be responsible for providing an in-store take back service for customers in relation to specified WEEE or subscribe to a distributor take back scheme which arranges for collection from a designated collection facility, for example, a local authority recycling centre, and to advise customers of these arrangements. The regulations also impose a record-keeping obligation on distributors in respect of the volumes of WEEE returned.

Energy Efficiency

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many designated collection facilities exist where compact fluorescent light bulbs may be disposed of for treatment and recycling.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government does not maintain the register of designated collection facilities. A full UK listing of these facilities and information on the types of waste electrical and electronic equipment, including lighting, is collected, is available from the website of the operator of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Distributor Take Back Scheme, at:  www.valpak.co.uk/dts .

Energy Efficiency

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether every local authority offers at least one designated collection facility where compact fluorescent light bulbs may be disposed of for treatment and recycling.

Richard Lochhead: That information is not held by the Scottish Government. A full UK listing of designated collection facilities, and information on what types of waste electrical and electronic equipment each collects, including lighting, is available from the website of the operator of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Distributor Take Back Scheme, at www.valpak.co.uk/dts .

Energy Efficiency

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the appropriate methods of disposal of compact fluorescent light bulbs are brought to the attention of the public.

Richard Lochhead: Distributors of household electrical and electronic equipment, including compact fluorescent light bulbs, must provide their customers with information on a number of aspects relating to the responsible disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), including:

  the environmental impacts of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment ;

  the benefits of separate collection and environmentally sound recovery and the reasons why they should not dispose of WEEE with other forms of waste they produce;

  the meaning of the "crossed out wheeled bin" product marking symbol;

  how they can contribute towards re-use, recycling and other forms of recovery of WEEE, and

  the arrangements through which customers can dispose of WEEE free of charge.

  The government expects distributors selling household electrical and electronic equipment to play an active part in promoting the benefits of free take-back of household WEEE. They must provide this information to customers on their retail premises, if they have one, or by some other means connected to their sales, e.g., on their company website.

Enterprise

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many business start-ups there have been in each Scottish parliamentary constituency since May 2007 and what the comparative figures were for each of the previous five years.

Jim Mather: Data on the number of VAT registrations are released annually by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). These figures are used to monitor the number of business start-ups. The latest available data refers to all VAT registrations taking place in Scotland in 2006. There is no breakdown available by Scottish parliamentary constituency.

  The table below shows the number of VAT registrations by local authority area in Scotland from 2001 to 2006:

  

 Local Authority
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005
 2006


 Aberdeen City
 525
 610
 545
 520
 565
 600


 Aberdeenshire
 590
 600
 740
 670
 720
 785


 Angus
 195
 175
 205
 215
 235
 240


 Argyll and Bute
 225
 230
 230
 275
 210
 205


 Clackmannanshire
 80
 80
 100
 90
 80
 90


 Dumfries and Galloway
 300
 320
 350
 345
 335
 325


 Dundee City
 250
 240
 245
 265
 255
 225


 East Ayrshire
 215
 215
 205
 210
 225
 190


 East Dunbartonshire
 205
 185
 180
 215
 195
 185


 East Lothian
 175
 180
 215
 200
 190
 210


 East Renfrewshire
 165
 155
 180
 180
 175
 180


 Edinburgh, City of
 1,370
 1,275
 1,410
 1,445
 1,380
 1,460


 Eilean Siar
 55
 55
 65
 65
 65
 55


 Falkirk
 225
 265
 265
 305
 305
 255


 Fife
 580
 610
 680
 665
 580
 615


 Glasgow City
 1,585
 1,505
 1,540
 1,525
 1,505
 1,505


 Highland
 510
 595
 620
 670
 595
 620


 Inverclyde
 105
 115
 140
 120
 120
 145


 Midlothian
 140
 145
 170
 150
 170
 155


 Moray
 155
 140
 180
 170
 180
 150


 North Ayrshire
 205
 205
 230
 225
 210
 220


 North Lanarkshire
 525
 520
 595
 555
 580
 630


 Orkney Islands
 60
 55
 50
 60
 70
 55


 Perth and Kinross
 375
 375
 400
 395
 375
 345


 Renfrewshire
 325
 330
 365
 355
 330
 345


 Scottish Borders
 260
 300
 315
 300
 285
 325


 Shetland Islands
 40
 60
 70
 60
 65
 75


 South Ayrshire
 245
 245
 270
 270
 250
 250


 South Lanarkshire
 640
 655
 665
 665
 650
 645


 Stirling
 240
 260
 300
 270
 275
 280


 West Dunbartonshire
 95
 105
 125
 120
 120
 110


 West Lothian
 330
 325
 325
 405
 375
 350


 Scotland
 10,980
 11,130
 11,980
 11,980
 11,665
 11,825



  Source: BERR.

  Please note that these figures do not account for all business activity as only companies with a turnover above the VAT threshold are required to register.

Environment

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what policy steps it will take to reduce Scotland’s carbon emissions between now and 2011; how its performance will be measured, and whether it expects to achieve any reduction within that timescale.

Stewart Stevenson: We are committed to taking early action on climate change.

  We have allocated significant additional funds for measures which will reduce Scotland’s carbon emissions. These include £34.8 million to support a range of sustainable development and climate change initiatives, including a new Climate Challenge Fund.

  We are committed to introducing a system of cross-compliance to ensure that spending decisions assess the carbon impact of policy options - across all government portfolios - and will take steps to ensure effective implementation.

  We have set ourselves a target to reduce emissions by 2011 in line with the pathway towards reducing emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.

Finance

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has received from the UK unclaimed assets scheme.

Jim Mather: No funds have been received from the UK unclaimed assets scheme.

  The UK Dormant Bank and Building Societies Accounts Bill is currently being considered by the UK Parliament. Subject to the Bill progressing, and the Scottish Parliament agreeing to a Legislative Consent Motion which will allow the UK Parliament to legislate for Scotland’s interests, we expect funding to become available from around late 2009-10.

Finance

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how funding received from the UK unclaimed assets scheme will be made available to local communities.

Jim Mather: The Dormant Bank and Building Societies Accounts Bill, currently progressing through the UK Parliament, provides that monies derived from dormant accounts will be distributed by the BIG Lottery in Scotland under priorities set by Scottish ministers. The bill provides for consultation on these priorities with the BIG Lottery and such other parties as ministers see fit, and Scottish ministers have already made clear their intention to conduct a wide consultation in Scotland, meanwhile it would be advisable to encourage local communities and local community groups to respond to the consultation.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8284 by Richard Lochhead on 18 January 2008, whether the delay to the opening for applications to the European Fisheries Fund will lead to any loss of funding to Scotland from that originally offered by the European Commission and, if so, what the extent of any such loss is expected to be.

Richard Lochhead: In the course of the approval process for the UK Operational Programme for the European Fisheries Fund, the Commission will make proposals as to the allocation of funds for the programme. The Scottish Government is working closely with the other UK fisheries administrations to ensure that the programme can be launched as soon as is feasible and that the delay does not financially disadvantage Scotland.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8284 by Richard Lochhead on 18 January 2008, whether there are any proposals to provide interim alternative grant support for the fisheries industry using funding from Her Majesty’s Government or the Scottish Government ahead of the opening for applications to the European Fisheries Fund.

Richard Lochhead: We will consult shortly on proposals for delivering the European Fisheries Fund Programme in Scotland including arrangements for managing the transition from the predecessor programme alongside the forthcoming consultation on the UK operational programme.

Football

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to increase the success rate of applications for football banning orders.

Kenny MacAskill: It is a matter for the police to determine which cases are suitable for a football banning order and to make that recommendation in the report to the Procurator Fiscal. Procurators fiscal will draw such a recommendation to the attention of the court, following a plea or conviction. It is for the court to decide whether or not to impose a football banning order in an individual case.

  We are working with all interested parties including the police, Crown Office and Scottish Court Service to monitor the effectiveness of the football banning order provisions of the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006. This will be measured, not by the number of football banning orders imposed, but by their effectiveness in tackling football-related violence and disorder.

Health

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the number of women aged between 20 and 26 taking up smear tests, in light of the number of women eligible for a test who do not currently take up the offer.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is considering how to improve uptake in all age groups for cervical screening and has asked for advice from the National Advisory Group on Breast and Cervical Screening on this subject. At the same time the teams working on Cervical Cancer Screening and HPV immunisation are working closely together to coordinate future communications on both subjects.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8255 by Shona Robison on 21 January 2008, how many patients have been screened using estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate for the detection of chronic kidney disease in each of the last three years.

Shona Robison: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) was included in the Quality and Outcomes Framework in April 2006, so data are available only for the year to March 2007.

  The QOF indicators for CKD call upon GPs to set up a practice register of people aged 18 or over with stages three to five of the disease, based on a test of their estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR). The number of patients on the CKD registers of participating GMS practices in the year April 2006 to March 2007 was 88,807.

Higher Education

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it is giving to universities on widening access and increasing student numbers.

Fiona Hyslop: Guidance to individual universities is issued by the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council. The main guidance is the annual grant letter issued to all higher education institutions. The most recent letter is SFC Circular 16/2007 issued on 20 March 2007.

  In determining its plans and issuing guidance the council has to take account of the policies and priorities of the Scottish Government as outlined in the ministerial guidance letter. Current guidance is reflected in the council’s corporate plan for 2006-09 which gives priority to fair access. I will provide detailed guidance for the period 2009-11 including reference to access later this year.

  We are fully committed to ensuring that access to higher education is available to all on the basis of ability to learn rather than ability to pay. Whilst we have plans for a modest increase in student numbers we believe that increased access can be largely be achieved from within the current level of funded places.

Homecoming Scotland

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has allocated to (a) South Ayrshire Council and (b) East Ayrshire Council to allow them to offer match funding for local organisations bidding for funds from the Homecoming Scotland Themed Events programme.

Jim Mather: It is for each local authority to decide how they allocate their funding to particular projects. A record level of investment in local government is only one part of the package that we agreed with COSLA in our concordat. It also contains a commitment to reduce ring fencing, which will give local authorities much greater freedom and flexibility to allocate their resources as they wish. However, we hope that both South Ayrshire and East Ayrshire councils will wish to allocate funding to the Homecoming, and initial indications from meetings with the Homecoming project team are that they will do so.

Justice

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to address the 20% reduction in the number of convictions for religious-aggravated offences between 2005-06 and 2006-07.

Kenny MacAskill: We understand that this question may relate to figures provided in answer to question S3W-3013 on 31 August 2007.

  As the data provided in that answer makes clear, the numbers of convictions where the charge includes a religious aggravation in terms of section 74 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 fluctuate year-by-year. The information was extracted from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service case management system. This is a live, operational database which records information on the basis of charges. The comparison of 2005-06 and 2006-07 data and the assumption of a 20% reduction in convictions is unlikely to be valid. More up-to-date figures are available from the system and I will provide the member with that information in writing.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at Questions & Answers Search.

Justice

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is delaying the implementation of ending unconditional automatic early release until the Scottish Prison Commission has reported.

Kenny MacAskill: We remain committed to the delivery of our offender management strategy but we must ensure that any change does not compound current problems of unrelenting pressure on high prison numbers and put intolerable pressures on prisons, courts and community justice services. We will be informed by the Commissions findings and recommendations.

  The previous administration may have passed the Custodial Sentences and Weapons Act 2007 in the final days of the last Parliament. However, because of the impact on resources, it has always been clear that implementation would unlikely to be before 2009-10.

Justice

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action can be taken by the police in apprehending absconded prisoners.

Kenny MacAskill: Section 40 of the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989 provides that a constable or prison officer may arrest without warrant any person who, having been sentenced to imprisonment, is unlawfully at large and take him or her to the place where he or she is required by law to be detained. Such a person may also be arrested under a warrant granted by a justice under section 40A of the 1989 act and brought before a sheriff, who may order that he or she be returned to the place where he or she is liable to be detained.

Justice

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action was taken by the police in attempting to apprehend Robert Foye and take him back into custody.

Kenny MacAskill: Tayside Police is notified by the Scottish Prison Service when a prisoner absconds.

  When a prisoner does abscond, Tayside Police will actively conduct enquiries in conjunction with other police forces until such time that the absconder has been traced and returned to custody.

  As part of these enquiries, consideration is given to releasing information to the public following consultation between the police and the Scottish Prison Service, with agreement from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

Languages

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority received from the European Languages Grant in each year of the 2004 spending review.

Fiona Hyslop: The individual allocations per local authority for 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 are detailed in the table below.

  

 
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Aberdeen City
£121,949
£118,122
£121,150


 Aberdeenshire
£236,510
£231,502
£237,438


 Angus
£96,693
£94,924
£97,358


 Argyll and Bute
£86,779
£84,275
£86,436


 Clackmannanshire
£38,245
£36,593
£37,532


 Dumfries and Galloway
£142,454
£138,459
£142,010


 Dundee City
£94,863
£92,178
£94,542


 East Ayrshire
£100,303
£97,019
£99,507


 East Dunbartonshire
£93,487
£88,971
£91,252


 East Lothian
£75,317
£74,085
£75,985


 East Renfrewshire
£83,279
£82,386
£84,499


 Edinburgh, City of
£236,542
£230,552
£236,464


 Eilean Siar
£31,053
£30,507
£31,289


 Falkirk
£111,726
£109,924
£112,743


 Fife
£272,872
£265,627
£272,438


 Glasgow City
£356,406
£344,352
£353,182


 Highland
£218,364
£213,955
£219,441


 Inverclyde
£62,396
£60,118
£61,660


 Midlothian
£66,393
£64,945
£66,611


 Moray
£81,958
£80,041
£82,094


 North Ayrshire
£109,939
£106,861
£109,601


 North Lanarkshire
£261,245
£255,661
£262,217


 Orkney Islands
£22,980
£22,356
£22,929


 Perth and Kinross
£118,210
£116,342
£119,325


 Renfrewshire
£132,570
£128,719
£132,020


 Scottish Borders
£100,349
£98,470
£100,995


 Shetland Islands
£28,038
£27,496
£28,201


 South Ayrshire
£87,352
£85,099
£87,281


 South Lanarkshire
£243,310
£237,701
£243,796


 Stirling 
£76,007
£74,687
£76,603


 West Dunbartonshire
£70,954
£68,326
£70,078


 West Lothian
£136,218
£134,591
£138,042


 Jordanhill School (Glasgow)
£5,239
£5,152
£5,284

Lewis Chessmen

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what communications it has had with the British Museum about the Lewis Chessmen.

Linda Fabiani: During my visit to the British Museum at the end of last month, I met with Dr Andrew Burnett, Deputy Director of the British Museum, to discuss the repatriation of the Lewis Chessmen. We agreed that constructive dialogue about the chessmen should continue and I hope to meet the Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, in due course.

Local Government

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met Highland Council and what issues were discussed.

John Swinney: Scottish Government ministers and officials have met representatives of Highland Council on a number of occasions and discussed a number of issues of mutual interest.

Maternity Services

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many premature babies were born (a) in total and (b) per 1,000 live births in each of the last 10 years, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The latest available information is shown in the table.

  Premature Singleton Live Births1,2 by Gestation, Health Board of Residence3; Year Ending 31 March

  

 
Number of Premature Births (<37 Weeks Gestation)


1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005


Scotland 4
3,175
3,277
3,216
3,223
3,181
3,061
2,878
3,016
3,240
3,161


Ayrshire and Arran
220
248
217
217
233
235
209
249
237
255


Borders
76
63
58
49
53
58
44
50
56
42


Dumfries and Galloway
72
70
77
66
86
82
83
72
73
72


Fife
234
220
204
212
201
185
184
201
213
178


Forth Valley
133
136
137
167
183
159
177
178
195
156


Glasgow and Clyde
860
875
886
868
869
812
773
763
871
852


Grampian
307
301
326
333
313
302
273
347
303
328


Highland
131
160
158
183
176
179
124
142
140
161


Islands
33
32
25
34
31
27
27
20
30
38


Lanarkshire
328
380
346
366
318
304
291
278
354
323


Lothian
505
520
486
446
466
458
429
460
487
494


Tayside
248
242
265
251
211
213
227
220
245
230



  

 
 Rate of Premature Births Per 1,000 Live Births


 1996
 1997
 1998
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005


 Scotland4
 55.4
 58.1
 57.0
 58.9
 60.7
 60.3
 58.7
 61.2
 63.9
 61.8


 Ayrshire and Arran
 55.0
 62.4
 55.5
 55.8
 65.3
 66.2
 60.9
 75.2
 67.9
 72.5


 Borders
 67.8
 59.0
 57.5
 50.2
 54.4
 61.0
 43.7
 53.5
 58.2
 43.1


 Dumfries and Galloway
 47.1
 50.9
 51.5
 48.1
 63.5
 62.9
 71.1
 57.2
 57.1
 53.7


 Fife
 62.8
 60.5
 56.6
 59.3
 58.6
 54.6
 54.4
 59.4
 60.8
 48.9


 Forth Valley
 44.7
 47.3
 44.8
 55.0
 64.2
 57.0
 66.7
 64.9
 67.8
 51.5


 Glasgow and Clyde
 60.0
 62.3
 62.4
 65.3
 68.3
 65.3
 65.0
 63.9
 70.7
 69.6


 Grampian
 52.0
 51.9
 56.0
 58.4
 56.7
 59.1
 55.9
 68.2
 61.0
 63.1


 Highland
 40.7
 50.8
 49.8
 59.0
 62.5
 63.4
 47.7
 55.0
 52.0
 60.5


 Islands
 41.4
 46.6
 36.4
 48.2
 45.9
 47.6
 46.8
 32.6
 49.8
 62.5


 Lanarkshire
 51.1
 60.0
 54.5
 58.8
 53.5
 52.3
 51.1
 48.7
 61.3
 54.9


 Lothian
 57.9
 59.1
 56.7
 52.5
 56.3
 57.8
 55.5
 60.1
 60.5
 62.1


 Tayside
 60.0
 57.2
 63.5
 63.7
 55.1
 57.5
 62.5
 61.2
 65.1
 62.6



  Source: SMR02 (ISD).

  Notes:

  1. Excludes home births and births at non-NHS hospitals.

  2. Where four or more babies are involved in a pregnancy, birth details are recorded only for the first three babies delivered.

  3. Figures may differ slightly from previously published data due to the use of a different postcode reference file being used.

  4. Includes births where NHS board of residence is unknown or outside Scotland.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that people with mental health problems are able to exercise their statutory right to access independent advocacy services.

Shona Robison: The Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 places a duty on health boards and local authorities to secure the provision of appropriate independent advocacy services for all people with mental health problems and to take appropriate steps to ensure that such people have the opportunity to make use of those services.

Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have received nutrition by artificial means without their consent in the last 12 months, as authorised under section 240 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, broken down by NHS board area.

Shona Robison: Figures supplied by the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland indicate that over the 12 month period 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007 a total of 28 individuals have been treated under section 240 of the act. Due to the small number of individuals it is not possible to provide a breakdown by individual NHS board, however, the majority of these individuals were treated at specialist units in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Museums

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on returning cultural artefacts held in Scottish museums to their nation of origin.

Linda Fabiani: Decisions on the repatriation of cultural objects held by Scottish museums are for the Board of Trustees of each museum to take.

  The Trustees of National Museums Scotland recently agreed to requests to return a Tasmanian skull to Australia and other human remains to New Zealand. Under the National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985, Scottish ministers approved the Australian Government and The National Museum of New Zealand as bodies to which National Museums Scotland could transfer objects from their collection.

Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the legal status is of the protocol between the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and the Crown Office with regard to complaints made related to breaches of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the protocol agreed between the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and the Crown Office concerning complaints in relation to breaches of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the protocol between the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and the Crown Office concerning complaints made to police forces in relation to breaches of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 was agreed.

Frank Mulholland QC: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-8921 on 7 February 2008.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at Questions & Answers Search.

Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the details of the protocol between the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) and the Crown Office concerning complaints made to police forces in relation to breaches of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

Frank Mulholland QC: There is no protocol between the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and ACPOS in relation to allegations of contraventions of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. There is, however, a protocol of this nature between ACPOS and the Electoral Commission.

Prison Service

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is committed to the proposed new prison in the north east being built on the existing site at HM Prison Peterhead.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Cabinet Secretary for Justice announced on 24 August 2007 that a new public sector prison for the north-east of Scotland would be built in the Peterhead area. The Spending Review plans, published in November 2007, provide funding to meet this commitment. Work is underway to take forward the replacement of HM Prison Aberdeen and HM Prison Peterhead with a new prison, HM Prison Grampian. The site for this development will be confirmed in due course.

Prison Service

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had regarding the location of the proposed new prison in the north east.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service has held discussions with Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils regarding the proposed HM Prison Grampian which will replace the existing HM Prison Aberdeen and HM Prison Peterhead.

Prison Service

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale is for the planning, construction and opening of the proposed new prison in the north east.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond.

  His response is as follows:

  Work is underway to take forward HM Prison Grampian to replace HM Prison Aberdeen and HM Prison Peterhead. The timescale for planning, construction and opening of the new prison is part of that work. The programme will be confirmed in due course.

Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is legal to hunt farmed mammals with dogs.

Richard Lochhead: The Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 makes it an offence to hunt wild mammals with dogs. Wild mammals include wild mammals which have escaped, or been released, from captivity and any mammal which is living in the wild. Therefore, it would not be an offence under this legislation to hunt farmed animals with dogs unless they were living in the wild.

  However, farmed animals are protected under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause them unnecessary suffering.

Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the relevant figures under section 2(2)(b)(i) and section 2(2)(b)(ii) of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 would be for each month in 2008-09 in the event of section 2 being relevant.

John Swinney: The relevant figures, based on latest approved budgets for 2007-08, for each calendar month are show in the following table:

  

 Portfolio 
Monthly Amount 2007-08*
(£ Million)


 Office of the First Minister
 21.2


 Finance and Sustainable Growth
 298.4


 Health and Wellbeing
 827.6


 Education and Lifelong Learning
 268.2


 Justice
 140.0


 Rural Affairs and the Environment
 82.3


 Scottish Government Administration
 21.1


 Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal
 8.4


 Local Government
 666.7


 General Register Office for Scotland
 1.1


 National Archives of Scotland
 1.1


 Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
 0.3


 Scottish Teachers’ and NHS Pensions
 220.7


 Forestry Commission
 8.5


 Food Standards Agency
 0.9


 Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
 8.2


 Audit Scotland
 0.8



  Note: *Budgets following Autumn Budget Revision 2007-08.

Rail Network

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding in the spending review will be allocated to developing rail projects in Grampian.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-8310 on 17 January. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at Questions & Answers Search

Rail Network

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that the proposed Glasgow Crossrail project could be delivered in time for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Stewart Stevenson: The Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR), due to deliver its findings to the Scottish ministers in the summer of 2008, will profile when projects to be taken forward are expected to be delivered. It is, therefore, too early to comment, but Glasgow Crossrail does not form one of the commitments which supported the successful Commonwealth Games bid.

Rail Network

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it recognises the benefits of the proposed Glasgow Crossrail project to the entire Scottish rail network.

Stewart Stevenson: We will assess the impacts, both benefits and disbenefits, of the various elements of Crossrail by considering it through the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR), which is due to deliver its findings to the Scottish ministers in the summer of 2008.

Rail Network

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it recognises the value for money of the proposed Glasgow Crossrail.

Stewart Stevenson: We will assess the value for money and affordability of the various incremental elements of Crossrail by considering it through the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) and assessing it alongside all other priorities.

Rail Network

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed Glasgow Crossrail project will be considered as part of the Strategic Transport Projects Review.

Stewart Stevenson: Yes.

Rail Network

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed Glasgow Crossrail project will be approved as part of the Strategic Transport Projects Review.

Stewart Stevenson: The Strategic Transport Project Review (STPR) will deliver its findings to the Scottish ministers in the summer of 2008. It is, therefore, too early to comment on the conclusions of the review.

Renewable Energy

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the existing national planning guidance on renewable energy developments.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government believes that Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 6 Renewable Energy provides a sound national policy context for addressing onshore wind development and there are no plans to review it.

  Since the publication of SPP6 and to facilitate its implementation, ministers have confirmed that additional support and guidance will be made available to planning authorities. A team of consultants were appointed by the Scottish Government at the beginning of 2008 for a period to 12 months to provide expert advice and support on the preparation of supplementary planning guidance for wind farms, including spatial frameworks. To further assist the authorities, national guidance on the preparation of the authorities’ supplementary planning guidance will be issued in the near future.

Schools

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the new build/replacement schools programme proposed by North Lanarkshire Council.

Maureen Watt: I would applaud North Lanarkshire Council’s commitment to, and plans for, capital investment in a further major round of school replacement and refurbishment. It demonstrates local authorities’ ability to commit to major school building projects utilising the increased capital resources that the Scottish Government has provided through the concordat.

Scottish Arts Council

Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will allow the Scottish Arts Council to make decisions about the best way to spend its budget without preventing it from providing continued support for cultural co-ordinators.

Linda Fabiani: It is for the Scottish Arts Council to decide how to use its unrestricted funds.

Scottish Arts Council

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to instruct the Scottish Arts Council to change the criteria for the award of grants to artists.

Linda Fabiani: No. The criteria for the award of grants by the Scottish Arts Council are a matter for them, subject to the objects described in its Royal Charter.

Scottish Arts Council

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to emphasise financial return when making awards to artists, as suggested by a Scottish Government official in Scotland on Sunday on 20 January 2008.

Linda Fabiani: I refer the member to answer to question S3W-8828 on 7 February 2008. In addition, at present awards to artists are made principally by the Scottish Arts Council. The government plans for this function to be inherited by a new cultural development body, Creative Scotland. It is planned for Creative Scotland to make awards in pursuit of the functions established for it in legislation. When it does so, it will do so independently from government.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at Questions & Answers Search.

Swimming Pools

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities will introduce free access for children at council swimming pools.

Stewart Maxwell: As a result of the historic agreement between the Scottish Government and local authorities, we are working together to address the national outcomes of ensuring that our children have the best start in life, are ready to succeed and live longer, healthier lives.

Vaccinations

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the national human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme is on schedule for the 2008-09 school year.

Shona Robison: Yes, implementation of the human papilloma virus (HPV) immunisation programme is on schedule for delivery in the 2008-09 school year.

Vaccinations

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure maximum uptake of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine.

Shona Robison: The immunisation programme is being delivered as a schools based programme.

  Health Protection Scotland undertook an appraisal of delivery modes which concluded delivery through schools would achieve higher vaccine uptake levels.

  Engagement will be made through schools by health professionals giving information on the mass immunisation campaign for cervical cancer prevention. In addition there will be a public media campaign which will include TV, radio and press advertisements.

  Health Protection Scotland will also be considering action needed to ensure girls in harder to reach groups are included in the programme.

Vaccinations

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make either the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine or cervical screening available to all women aged between 18 and 26 who request them.

Shona Robison: The national HPV immunisation programme includes girls aged around 12-13 years and a catch up campaign for girls aged 13 to under 18 years at September 2008. This is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises the UK Government, Scottish Government and other devolved administrations. Women aged 18 and over are outwith the national HPV immunisation programme.

  The Scottish Cervical Screening Programme invites women from age 20. However, any woman under 20 who is concerned should seek advice from their GP who will be able to advise on any further action required.

Vaccinations

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to inform mothers and daughters about the importance of cervical screening through a new national information and awareness campaign timed to coincide with the roll-out of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Cervical Screening Programme are working closely with Health Service colleagues delivering the HPV vaccination programme to ensure women are informed of the importance of screening. Existing publications on cervical screening are being revised to include information on HPV.

Waste Management

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Highland and Moray councils will have access to government funding to extend the kerbside collection of dry recyclables.

Richard Lochhead: In line with the new concordat between the Scottish Government and local authorities government funding for recycling services will no longer be provided via the ring-fenced Strategic Waste Fund (SWF) from 1 April 2008, but will instead be transferred to the local government settlement. This means that Highland and Moray councils should be able to allocate financial resources according to identified local needs and priorities.

  In addition the Spending Review established a Zero Waste Fund of £154 million, which should add value to and not displace funding transferred to the local government settlement. In his parliamentary statement of 24 January the Cabinet Secretary indicated that a short-life working group will shortly be set up with COSLA to establish how these resources should be allocated. Further details will be available in the spring.